Railway signaling



F. T. FEREDAY.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLICATION man 020.2, 15l8.

Patented'July 27, 1920.

[1V V EN TOR.

A TTOR/VEY.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE. Y

FREDERICK T. FEBEDAY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVAN IA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented l 27 1920 Application filed December 2, 1918. Serial No. 264,910.

a circuit includinga source of current.

One feature of my invention is the provision, in a system of the character set forth, of means operating when the signal reaches the proceed position to disconnect the relay from the circuit and connect such circuit directly with the signal, there (by saving the power ordinarily required to energize the relay, while the signal indicates proceed. V

I will describe one form of signaling system embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in V claims.

The accompanying drawing is a view showing diagrammatically one form of signaling system embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters 2, 2 designate the track rails of a railway track, which rails are divided by insulated joints?) to form a plurality of succes'sive block sections A-B, BC, etc.- 35

Traffic along the track is normally in the direction indicated by the arrow. Each section is provided with a signal which is designated by the reference character with an exponent corresponding to the location of the signal. Each of these signals comj prises'a semaphore 4 and is adapted to indicate stop, caution or proceed., accordlng-as' the semaphore is In the horizontal, inclined or 'veitlcal p0s1t1on.' The semaphore of each signal is biased tothe horizontal or stop position by gravity and is moved to the' caution and proceed positions in opposition to the biasing force by an electric motor M; the semaphore is held in the position to which it has been so moved by a holding magnet H. I

Adjacent to each signal is a battery or othersuitable source of current,.designated E with the sameekp'onent as that of the corresponding signal, which battery at times supplies current to the signal for the operation and control thereof. The supply of current to each signal from its adjacent battery'is controlled by a signal relay which is designated R with the same exponent as that of the corresponding signal. As here shown, each relay R is of the polarized type. The manner in which these relays are controlled will appear hereinafter.

The control of each signal S by the corresponding signal relay is in accordance with usual and well understood practice until the signal reaches the proceed position. When the signal relay is deenergized, the controlling circuits for the signal are opened so that the signal indicates stop.

For example, relay R is shownin the deenergized condition, so that signal S in dicates stopipAssume now that relay R becomes energized in such direction that its neutral contacts 5 and 6 are closed but its polar contact 7 is opened. The holding battery E through wire 8, contact 5, wires 9 and 10, contact 11-12, wire 13, magnet H,

wires 14 and 36, contact 6, wire 15 to battery v Motor M will be energized at the same time by virtue of a circuit which passes from battery E 'through wire 8, contact 5, wires 9 and 16, contact 17-18, wire 19,-motor M, wires 14: and 36, contact 6, wire 15 to battery E The motor will, consequently, move the semaphore blade 4: to the inclined or caution position, at which point the motor will become deenergized due to the openlng of contacts 1718. This is the position in which signal S is shown in the drawing. If, now,

referrin to si nal S si nal rela -R becomes energized in the reverse direction, so that the polar contact 7 becomes closed, motor M will become energized by virtue of a circuit which passes from battery E through wire 8, contacts 5 and 7, wires 20 and 21, contact 22-18,wire 19,"motor M,

wires 14 and 36, contact 6, and wire 15 to battery E The semaphore blade will'thus be moved to the vertical or proceed position, at which'point the motor will be deenergized due to the opening of contact 22-18. During-the movement of the signal between caution and proceed positions, the circuit "for the holding magnet H is opened at contact 11-12, but prior to such opening a branch around this contact is closed, which branch passes from Wire 21 through contact 2312 to wire 13, so that the magnet continues to be energized until the signal reaches the proceed position. 7

Each signal relay R is provided with a circuit which includes the source of current k is in the proceed position.

E adjacent the signal next in advance, and a pole-changer P operated by the signal next in advance. Each such circuit isgoverned by a track circuit for the block sec.- tion through which the corresponding signal governs traffic. Each track circuit comprises as usual a track battery 7) and a track relay designated by the reference character T with an exponent corresponding to that of the adjacent signal. Each pole changer P is reversed during the movement of the corresponding signal between, stop and caution positions. Each signal relay circuit is also controlled by'a contact 28 29 operated by the adjacent signal which contact is closed at all times except when the signal For example, the circuit for signal relay R is from battery E through wire 24:, pole-changer P,

wires 25 and 2G, relay R wire 27, contact 28-29, contact 80 of track relay T wire 31, pole changer P, wire 32 to battery When signal S reaches the proceed position, this circuit for relay R becomes open at contact 28-29, but the holding magnet from battery E the circuit being from battery E through wire 24, pole chan er P, wires 25, 33 and 14, holding magnet wire 18, contact 1223,wires 21 and 84, contact 35-29, contact 80, wire 31, pole changer P and wire 32 tobattery E Siggized whereby signal S indicates stop.

Track relay T is closed,'hence the circuit for signal relayfliis ;closed, but the polechanger P operated'by signal S is then in such position that contact 7 of relay R is opened, whereby signal S indicates caution. The pole-changer P operated by this signal S is now in the normal-position so that re- 7 lay R has been energized in such direction as to close contact 7. 7 Signal S has, consequently, been moved to the proceed position. Just before reaching this position, the

circuit forjrelay R becameopened at contact2829 and magnet H of signal S was connected with battery .E

so that, as shown in the drawing, signal is held inthe proceed posit-ionzdue to current from bat- 7 I claim is 1 will become opened at contact 18, but the circuit for magnet H will remain closed and this magnet will continue to receive current from battery E Just before signal 4 reaches the caution position polechanger P operated by this signal will reverse, thereby energizing relay B in such direction that contact 7 of this relay becomes closed. Motor M of signal S 'will then be supplied with current from battery E so thatthis signal will be moved to the proceed position. Just as this position is reached, con.- tact 29 2,8 will open, thereby opening the circuit for relay R but contact 2935 will close, so that magnet H for signal S will ghpn be supplied with current from battery The parts associated'with signal: S will then be in the same positions as the parts associated with signal S I willnext assumethat with the parts as shown in the drawing, a trainrmoving toward the right enters section AB. The 1 opening of track relay T5 opens theeircuit for magnet H, so that signal S will ,move to the stop position. Contact, 29 is'shifted to contact 28 immediately after the semaphore blade 4 leaves the proceed position, but relay R remains deenergized because the circuit for thisrelay is then opened at contact 30 of track relay T and somagnet 7 H remains deenergized. nal S 1s shown in the proceed position,

It will .be seen from. the foregoing ;-that normally each signal is inthe full proceed.

position, but that when a, signal is in such posltlon, the corresponding signal relay is deenerg1zed,:thus saving the energy which relay energized.

Although I have herein shown and de- ]scribed only one form of apparatus and circuits embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of. my invention. g f

' avingthus described my inventiomwhat f 1. Apparatus of signal from said source,"a-nd a circuit for operating Whenthe signal is in the. proceed position for disconnecting said relay from has heretofore been necessary to keep, this 7 V V the type comprising a f" ignaha source ofcurrent a signal relay for controlling the supply of currentto said said second source of current and connecting said second source directly with the signal.

2. Apparatus of the type comprising a signal, a signal relay for controlling said signal, and a circuit for said relay including a source of current, characterized by the combination therewith of means controlled by said signal and operating when the signal is in proceed position to disconnect the relay from its circuit and connect said circuit with the signal.

3. Apparatus of the type comprising a signal, a relay for controlling said signal, a circuit for said relay including circuit controlling means and a source of current, characterized by the combination therewith of means controlled by the signal and operating when the signal is in proceed position to disconnect said relay from said clrcuit and place the signal under the immediate control of said circuit.

acterized by the combination therewith of means controlled by said signal when the latter reaches such proceed position for disconnecting said second source of current from said relay and connecting said second source with said holding means.

5. A signaling system of the type comprising a plurality of block sections, a signal for each section, a source of current for each signal, a signal relay for each signal for controlling the supply of current to such signal from the adjacent source, a circuit for each signal relay including the source of current adjacent to the signal next in advance, and track circuits for the block sections including track relays for controlling said signal relay circuits, characterized by the combination therewith of means controlled by each signal and operating when the signal is in the proceed position to disconnect the corresponding relay from its circuit and to connect the signal directly with such circuit whereby the signal then receives energy directly from the source of current adjacent to the signal next in advance. a In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK T. FEREDAY. Witnesses:

JAMES REID, HENRY C. TRADER. 

